It’s a tough time for small businesses in Galveston, and especially in the hospitality industry. A rash of brick-and-mortar closings, coupled with a creeping dread within the small business community, is forcing some owners and operators to confront some unpleasant realities.<\/p>\n
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“I won’t sugarcoat it: our local spots are hurting right now,” Cyndi Hood, president of the Galveston Thursday Happy Hour Club<\/a>, wrote on Facebook recently<\/a>. “Rents keep climbing, costs keep rising, and I worry we’re headed for a wave of closures that takes away the places that make Galveston, Galveston.”<\/p>\n The closings have piled up over the last several weeks. Italian eatery Riondo’s<\/a>, a fixture of the Strand’s dining scene for more than a decade, shut down abruptly earlier this month, around the same time as Hendley Wine Company quietly shuttered at the street’s other end. Hendley owner David Martinez, who opened the cozy tasting room two years ago, told Chron this week that “a slow summer and rising overhead costs” forced his hand.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Several miles away, the Way West Grill & Pizzeria, a popular and eclectic snacking spot in Jamaica Beach, announced last week that it would close at the end of the year. (Houston fajita franchise El Tiempo, expected to open next month across from Saengerfest Park, is bravely bucking this trend.)<\/p>\n It’s not just restaurants, either. Gift hubs Diana’s Bartique and Tina’s On the Strand<\/a>, which practically faced each other, recently closed. Ha.ba’s, a clothing boutique on Postoffice Street, shut down its brick-and-mortar operation and moved to online only. Others that haven’t closed yet are struggling, battling burnout and weighing retirement instead of waiting for things to turn around.<\/p>\n Boutique Tina’s on the Strand closed in April after providing its customers with quirky and exactingly curated gifts for 20. years.<\/p>\n Chris Gray\/Chron<\/p>\n Martinez plans to shift to private tastings and partnering with other local businesses to develop wine and tasting programs. Monday and Tuesday lunchtime programs have already begun at his old Hendley neighbor, Coastal Star Brewing Co.<\/a>, and he’s been talking to several other establishments about arranging similar events.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “We have not dissolved the company\u2014we’re simply changing our business model and may ultimately rebrand or change the LLC name to better reflect that direction,” Martinez said.<\/p>\n Despite Galveston’s record-breaking visitor numbers in recent years, some island merchants are still waiting for that rising tide to lift their boats. Some never quite recovered from Hurricane Beryl, or even the COVID-19 pandemic before that, while others have succumbed to skyrocketing insurance premiums, evaporating savings, or myopic investors “buying key properties and forcing out renters, thinking they are going to attract higher-dollar ones [but are] now sitting empty,” Hood told Chron Tuesday.<\/p>\n Fighting back against hard times<\/p>\n Members of the Galveston Thursday Happy Hour Club recently donned muumuus and oversized shades for the group’s Roper Romp Bingo outing.<\/p>\n Cyndi Hood\/Courtesy<\/p>\n With the Happy Hour Club now approaching its 10th anniversary, Hood is doing her best to keep that wave of closures from crashing. Gatherings usually range from 20 to 50 people, depending on the time of year, and some events such as Roper Romp Bingo may visit up to 15 downtown businesses in one long afternoon. The happy-hour menus appeal to her groups on more than one level, too.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “Smaller portions with lower prices are attractive to most here on the island,” Hood said. “The restaurant definitely makes up the lower food purchase prices with cocktail purchases [and] about a third [of the people] go ahead and opt for a dinner instead of the happy-hour menu.”<\/p>\n By pairing the club’s outings with a dolphin-sightseeing tour or stroll through the monthly Galveston ArtWalk, Hood also helps island newcomers meet friends and longtime residents overcome their reluctance to book some of Galveston’s more touristy attractions on their own. Before long, the members learn which sightseeing spots they should recommend to friends from out of town, which local performers they’re drawn to, and which venues are pet-friendly.<\/p>\n Smart, funny and sometimes unhinged look at the week that was.<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Naturally, if they enjoy the tour, restaurant, or entertainers, they become regulars,” Hood said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Meeting weekly, the Happy Hour Club arranges events to support as many as 15 of the island’s small businesses in a single outing.<\/p>\n Cyndi Hood\/Courtesy<\/p>\n The club recently hosted a happy hour at Coastal Grill and headed to Naked Iguana Brewery for a fashion show tied to the Galveston Pirate Festival; last week they enjoyed a Spooky Galveston ghost tour after meeting at Old Galveston Club, and this Thursday they’ll have free appetizers at Cedar & Suede. Even in an unforgiving economic climate, it all adds up.<\/p>\n “Almost a decade of Thursday nights has taught me something: supporting local goes way beyond spending money,” Hood wrote. “Bring a friend. Leave a five-star review. Share their post. Tell a neighbor about the great night you had. That stuff is free\u2014and it keeps doors open.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s a tough time for small businesses in Galveston, and especially in the hospitality industry. 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